We are having a strange winter, aren't we. Snowdrops in bloom already and tulips foliage poking up through the soil, a good 6 weeks early. So, pinching buds? I believe this is often done with young own root plants to encourage the rose to put effort into roots rather than top growth....but it has always seemed far less necessary with bare-root plants. However, if we are attempting to keep a rose in some sort of dormancy because of the likelihood of later freezing weather, I must confess to having no luck at all doing this. At present, Madame Gregoire is thrusting out a multitude of new leaves from every bud....and obviously, I am just going to ignore it because there is no way I can maintain a growth stopping momentum over the next 3 months. To be honest, Nik, I am less than scrupulous with my pruning regimes, doing it when it is handy....and I hardy ever wait till forsythia is in bloom. None of my roses ever seem to resent late cold, although the incipient growth does get blackened and frost-killed....in other words, nature does the pinching for me. I am aware I have not really answered and it might be that it matters little in a temperate climate (I would expect those in those freezy zones have to be more careful) but for you and I, I would just leave it alone because even if you pinch them off, another lot will be along in a week or so.

No need to remove the oregano flowers - but if you're harvesting your oregano, take the flowers along with the leaves - they are edible. As for Garlic: yes, you can use bought garlic bulbs to propagate it, as long as they haven't been treated with a growth retardant. Here's how it's done. Divide the bulbs and plant separate cloves directly in the ground in early autumn to mid-spring. Autumn plantings usually yield larger cloves. Plant about 2cm deep (deeper if winters are severe), pointed end up, and about 15cm apart. Elephant Garlic should be planted about 7-8cm deep and 30cm apart. Forcing the cloves into the soil will delay root development, so be gentle. Choose the largest cloves for the largest bulbs later. Small cloves grow into unsegmented "rounds"; these can be replanted to grow into larger bulbs with the usual count of 7-10 cloves. In warmer climates, refrigerate the bulbs for several months before planting for best results. Garlic is a heavy feeder and, to grow big bulbs, you need highly fertile soil, well supplied with all major nutrients. Full sun is best. Because high humus content and good drainage are also very important, adding compost is advisable. Garlic prefers a pH 6.0-7.0. Plant in full sun, in good light, moist but well-drained soil. Consistent soil moisture is necessary during the bulbing period, but when nearing maturity, somewhat dry soil is best. Bulbs may rot in heavy, wet soils. Keep the area around the plants clear of weeds, but be careful not to damage the shallow roots. Traditionally garlic cloves are planted on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the longest. The following summer, stop watering when the leaves turn yellow and break tops over at the base to speed up drying. After 2 to 3 weeks, when broken tops are brown and dry, carefully lift the bulbs and sun-dry them for a few days. Remove flower stalks as they appear. Garlic will tolerate frosts to Â12C for short periods. Do not grow garlic where other members of the onion family have been grown in the past 3 years.

If the plant isn't stressed and I've already got them transplanted, I let the plant decide for itself if it wants to fruit. Doesn't matter to me if the plant is 12 inches tall or 20. If the plant is able to produce fruit it will, if it can't it will abort the blossoms. But since you are going to transplant soon, I say pinch the blossoms off. Rodney

Let the tree go through the flowering cycle and enjoy the scent. Not every flower will produce fruit. Even if you get fruit, the tree will probably abort whatever it cannot handle. You will probably have some natural fruit drop in June too. During the summer, the tree may drop fruit to to some sort of stress. If you don't thin out the fruit as the year goes on, your option is to provide additional support to the branches. Don't worry about the tree having fruit to harvest until at least July.